Stanislav Genadiev, Violeta Vitanova

Saline Nebula

21 min

#vr

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

21 minutes of cosmic loneliness, beauty and chaos.

Saline Nebula is a striking visual anti-utopian project that transforms the abstract into the tangible and the unseen into the visible. Through choreography, it brings chaos, loneliness and beauty to the forefront, turning shadows into images and substance. Its exploration of the primal human condition opens up a universe that is at once alien and deeply human—an ethereal world on the edge of the unknown.

The title brings together two concepts that meet within the material and cosmic worlds of the performance. Saline refers to saline solution, widely used in medicine to support the body and containing sodium chloride, other salts and minerals. Nebula, on the other hand, describes a cloud of gas and dust visible in the night sky as a bright or dark patch, while in medicine it also refers to a cloudy or dark spot on the cornea. This double meaning becomes a starting point for the transformation of the image: the microcosm of the organic body connects with the macrocosm of stellar nebulae. The substance that nourishes the cell simultaneously becomes an ingredient of cosmic dust.

Saline Nebula inhabits the space between the emergence and disappearance of a life form, between the abstract and the concrete, the invisible and the visible. The image does not appear as an illustration, but emerges through movement, sound, light and space. The thought of C. G. Jung, particularly his reflections on the unconscious, also plays an important role in this process. Genadiev and Vitanova create images through movement and dance, allowing them to remain open-ended rather than fixed, with different meanings and layers of meaning available to each viewer.

The VR version of Saline Nebula further expands the multilayered character of this visceral work. Experiencing materiality in its many forms means breaking out of habitual modes of perception and immersing oneself in the world of the five senses. It is a form of revolt. The VR version makes another movement outward—from the physical into the virtual—not to create distance between the two, but to bring them into contact. The physical and the virtual meet in a swirling, writhing chaos that can be explored from up close, from within, rather than simply observed from afar.

21 minutes of cosmic loneliness, beauty and chaos.

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bio

Stanislav Rumenov Genadiev is a dance artist working in the field of independent performative arts. He graduated from the National School of Dance Art in Sofia, after which he began his career with the Swiss company Linga, later collaborating with Alias and dancing for choreographer Brice Leroux. Since 2006, he has been creating work with Violeta Vitanova, developing original performances that have received critical acclaim.

Their first successful joint work, Imago (2006), received the ICARUS Award for Best Debut Dance Performance. In 2013, they received another ICARUS Award for contemporary dance and performance for their choreography and performance of the “Mousetrap” in Hamlet, directed by Yavor Gardev. Since 2015, they have worked with French choreographer Brice Leroux. In 2021, they initiated the establishment of the Arealnost association, where they collaborate with Filip Milanov, Valeri Milenkov, Elena Kitova and Ralitsa Toncheva. Alongside his work in dance and choreography, Genadiev also develops his own musical projects.

Violeta Georgieva Vitanova is a dance artist and educator based in Sofia, Bulgaria. She graduated from the National School of Dance Art and has made a significant contribution to independent performative arts, particularly through her long-standing collaboration with Stanislav Genadiev. As a dancer, she has also worked with renowned choreographer Brice Leroux, presenting her work on the international stage.

Her and Genadiev’s works have been presented at numerous festivals in Bulgaria and across Europe. Alongside her artistic practice, Vitanova teaches at the National School of Dance Art in Sofia, where she shares her knowledge and experience with a new generation of dancers.

credits

Authors and choreography Stanislav Genadiev, Violeta Vitanova

Choreographer’s assistant Galina Borisova

Performer Marion Darova

360° direction Enya Belak

Filming and post-production Igor Crnković

Sound recording Ivo Vičić

Lighting design Elina Ivanov, Stanislav Genadiev

Technical support Sanjin Valić, Željko Dešić

Set design and visual environment Iliana Kancheva

Sound design and music Stanislav Genadiev

Costume design Iliana Kancheva

Photography Borut Brozović

Production management Croatian Cultural Centre (HKD), in partnership with Ringside

VR production Croatian Cultural Centre (HKD)

With the support of Rijeka City Museum

Co-financed by the European Union

 

Guest screening production En–Knap Productions

In collaboration with Moving Balkans Contemporary Dance Platform